RESUMEN
Based on the structural-choice theory of victimization, the current study examines the effects of a high-risk environment on the sexual victimization of 311 homeless and runaway youth. Results from logistic regression revealed that survival sex, gender, and physical appearance were significantly associated with sexual victimization. Results from a series of interactions also revealed that the effects of deviant behaviors on sexual victimization varied by gender and age. Although males and females engaged in similar activities, young women were more likely to be victims of sexual assault. These findings suggest that engaging in high-risk behaviors predispose some people to greater risks but it is the combination of these behaviors with gender and/or age that determines who will become victimized.
Asunto(s)
Conducta del Adolescente/psicología , Víctimas de Crimen/psicología , Jóvenes sin Hogar/psicología , Delitos Sexuales/psicología , Violencia/psicología , Adolescente , Adulto , Factores de Edad , Niño , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Grupo Paritario , Factores de Riesgo , Factores Sexuales , Medio Social , Apoyo SocialRESUMEN
The purpose of this study was to determine how initial HIV prevention efforts for homeless youth were received and to determine areas where homeless youth's beliefs and behaviors continue to put them at risk for HIV infection. Interviews were conducted with 289 Seattle homeless youth. Youth reported using condoms with casual partners during vaginal and anal sex and with clients during oral, anal and vaginal sex. Condoms are often not used during vaginal sex with main partners or during oral sex with casual or main partners. Knowledge of HIV protective strategies differed according to youth's behavioral characteristics with heterosexual youth having the weakest knowledge of HIV protective strategies especially compared with young men who have sex with men. There is room for improvement in youth's knowledge and beliefs about HIV.
Asunto(s)
Infecciones por VIH/prevención & control , Conductas Relacionadas con la Salud , Conocimientos, Actitudes y Práctica en Salud , Jóvenes sin Hogar/estadística & datos numéricos , Conducta Sexual/estadística & datos numéricos , Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida/prevención & control , Síndrome de Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida/transmisión , Adolescente , Adulto , Condones/estadística & datos numéricos , Víctimas de Crimen , Femenino , Infecciones por VIH/transmisión , Jóvenes sin Hogar/etnología , Jóvenes sin Hogar/psicología , Humanos , Entrevistas como Asunto , Masculino , Asunción de Riesgos , Sexo Seguro/estadística & datos numéricos , Enfermedades de Transmisión Sexual/prevención & control , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/epidemiología , Washingtón/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
This longitudinal study examines the transition to adulthood in a randomly sampled, community-based cohort of adolescents. The study compares young adult outcomes of 33 adolescents with and 148 adolescents without psychiatric disorder. After adjustment for differences in age, gender, and social class, adolescents with psychiatric disorder were 13.74 times less likely to complete secondary school (95% confidence interval (CI): 4.17, 45.17), 4.07 times less likely to be employed or in college or trade school (95% CI: 1.4, 12.3), 3.13 times more likely to be involved in criminal activity (95% CI: 1.11, 8.87), and 6.46 times more likely to have gotten pregnant themselves or to have gotten someone else pregnant (95% CI: 1.75, 23.87). While adolescents with psychiatric disorder in this community-based study had outcomes that were somewhat more favorable than those of adolescents with psychiatric disorder in prior treatment-based studies, they nonetheless are at high risk of failing to meet young adult role expectations.
Asunto(s)
Conducta del Adolescente , Crimen , Empleo , Trastornos Mentales/epidemiología , Adolescente , Adulto , Educación , Femenino , Humanos , Estudios Longitudinales , Masculino , Embarazo , Embarazo en Adolescencia , Factores de Riesgo , Apoyo SocialRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: This study examined the differential effects of various forms of abuse, as well as their combined effects. The study also sought to separate the factors uniquely associated with abuse from those associated with the more general problems present in an abusive family environment. METHODOLOGY: Data were collected from 329 homeless adolescents. Preliminary analyses indicated some degree of matching for family background variables. Any differences in demographic or family characteristics were controlled for statistically. RESULTS: Chi-square analyses revealed significant differences across groups for rates of assault, rape, depression/dysthymia, and attempted suicide. Multivariate analyses (MANOVAs) indicated significant differences in severity of internalizing problems and cognitive problems. Without exception, the group with histories of both physical and sexual abuse exhibited the most severe symptomatology and was at greatest risk for revictimization. Multiple regression analyses suggested that abuse histories were predictive of internalizing problems while family characteristics were more predictive of externalizing problems. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that both abuse type and family characteristics contribute to the development of symptomatology. Future prospective and longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the sequelae of abuse, as well as the possible cause and effect relations between abuse, family characteristics, and psychological outcome.
Asunto(s)
Maltrato a los Niños/psicología , Víctimas de Crimen/psicología , Jóvenes sin Hogar/psicología , Adolescente , Relaciones Familiares , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Trastornos de la Personalidad/etiología , Trastornos de la Personalidad/psicología , Factores de RiesgoRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To predict DSM-III-R diagnoses from Youth Self-Report (YSR) scores. METHOD: The Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Version 2.1c (DISC-2.1c) and YSR were administered to 289 homeless adolescents. Stepwise discriminant analysis identified YSR scales contributing to predictions of DSM-III-R disorders. Paper-and-pencil prediction rules based on YSR "borderline" or "clinical" scores were evaluated. RESULTS: Statistically significant discriminant functions for disruptive disorders, depressive disorders, manic disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, and posttraumatic stress disorder, each based on a unique pair of YSR scales, produced overall hit rates of 0.66 to 0.90. Paper-and-pencil predictions produced comparable results. The weakest overall predictions were for the disruptive behaviors; the best rule ("IF Aggressive OR Delinquent is at least borderline THEN predict oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder") produced a 0.72 hit rate. The strongest overall predictions were for schizophrenia; the best prediction rule ("IF [Thought Problems AND Delinquent are at least borderline] AND [at least one is clinical] THEN predict schizophrenia") produced a 0.87 hlt rate. CONCLUSIONS: While the success rates reported here are specific to this sample, it appears that the YSR has good ability to predict DSM-III-R diagnoses as determined by the DISC. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that categorical diagnoses can be treated as locations or cluster sectors in a multidimensional space.
Asunto(s)
Personas con Mala Vivienda , Trastornos Mentales/diagnóstico , Trastornos Mentales/epidemiología , Escalas de Valoración Psiquiátrica/normas , Adolescente , Adulto , Comorbilidad , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Tamizaje Masivo/métodos , Valor Predictivo de las Pruebas , Estándares de Referencia , Muestreo , Estados Unidos/epidemiología , Washingtón/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Three models of adolescent substance use, the deviance-prone, affect-regulation, and normative development models, were assessed regarding their ability to predict the substance use of a high-risk homeless adolescent sample with high rates of deviance, depression, and substance use. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses that included tests for curvilinear and gender interaction effects were performed. Results supported the deviance-prone model most strongly, with delinquency but not aggressive behavior predicting substance use. The affect-regulation model received support for females but not for males. With respect to the normative development model, results did not indicate that moderate substance users were better off than abstainers in terms of negative affect or interpersonal relationships.
Asunto(s)
Adaptación Psicológica , Jóvenes sin Hogar/psicología , Trastornos Relacionados con Sustancias/psicología , Adolescente , Depresión/psicología , Femenino , Identidad de Género , Humanos , Delincuencia Juvenil/psicología , Masculino , Modelos PsicológicosRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The study attempted to develop a brief and integrated set of reliable and valid outcome measures that could be used by both consumers and providers to assess the quality of public mental health care. METHODS: A model of outcomes in four domains-consumer satisfaction, functioning, quality of life, and clinical status-was developed from the literature and from the priorities expressed by members of an advisory group of stakeholders. Based largely on extant measures, a consumer survey and a case manager survey were then created to assess these domains. A total of 236 adult consumers of mental health services from six community mental health centers in Washington State were surveyed. The four-item case manager survey to rate consumers' clinical status was completed by 163 of the participants' case managers. Scores and ratings on the survey were analyzed using correlational analysis and principal components analysis to determine whether the data provided empirical support for the four-domain model. RESULTS: Principal components analysis demonstrated support for the four-domain model. Internal consistency of the outcome indicators was adequate, and their concurrent validity was partly supported. CONCLUSIONS: The described outcome measures provide a practical, empirically supported structure for monitoring and improving public mental health services.
Asunto(s)
Trastornos Mentales/terapia , Servicios de Salud Mental/normas , Evaluación de Resultado en la Atención de Salud , Administración en Salud Pública/normas , Garantía de la Calidad de Atención de Salud , Actividades Cotidianas , Adulto , Actitud del Personal de Salud , Comportamiento del Consumidor , Estudios Transversales , Análisis Factorial , Femenino , Encuestas de Atención de la Salud/métodos , Encuestas de Atención de la Salud/normas , Estado de Salud , Humanos , Masculino , Trastornos Mentales/psicología , Persona de Mediana Edad , Evaluación de Resultado en la Atención de Salud/normas , Pacientes Ambulatorios/psicología , Pacientes Ambulatorios/estadística & datos numéricos , Garantía de la Calidad de Atención de Salud/normas , Calidad de Vida , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Muestreo , Autoevaluación (Psicología) , Ajuste Social , Percepción Social , Encuestas y Cuestionarios/normas , WashingtónRESUMEN
This study examined whether maternal control protects African American adolescents from the negative influence of problem peers. Two forms of control were examined, behavioral control and psychological control. It was hypothesized that there would be a curvilinear relation between control and adolescent problem behavior, with the strength of the relationship and the amount of control optimal for adolescent development varying by the level of peer problem behavior. In general, data supported this model, particularly in regard to behavioral control, where the predicted curvilinear interaction occurred even after controlling for initial levels of problem behavior. The predicted curvilinear interaction between psychological control and peer problem behavior was statistically significant if initial levels of problem behavior were not controlled for but was not significant after controlling for initial problem behavior. These findings suggest that high-quality parenting can play a modest but critical role in the face of environmental adversity.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno de Personalidad Antisocial/prevención & control , Negro o Afroamericano/psicología , Relaciones Madre-Hijo , Grupo Paritario , Controles Informales de la Sociedad , Adolescente , Trastorno de Personalidad Antisocial/psicología , Niño , Femenino , Humanos , Control Interno-Externo , Estudios Longitudinales , Masculino , Responsabilidad Parental/psicología , Factores de Riesgo , Medio Social , SocializaciónRESUMEN
Agreement between 57 African American mothers and their early adolescent daughters on measures of maternal support, maternal restrictive control, and parent-adolescent conflict were examined. To assess the relative validity of these reports, the study then evaluated them against the ratings of independent observers. Additionally, mother and daughter reports were combined to examine validity coefficients based on aggregate scores of each construct. All analyses were based on 2 sets of objective criterion ratings: ratings provided by coders of similar ethnic background (African American) and coders who were ethnically dissimilar (non-African American) to the families they rated. Overall, adolescents provided ratings that were more valid than those of their mothers when evaluated against both sets of independent ratings. Adolescent ratings of maternal control and parent-adolescent conflict converged at significantly higher levels than the ratings provided by their mothers. Maternal and adolescent reports of maternal support converged with objective criteria at statistically comparable levels. Validity coefficients for adolescent reports were also higher than those based on aggregate mother-daughter scores. Secondary analyses further revealed that African American coders rated mothers as less controlling and rated the dyadic interactions as less conflictual, and that their ratings were more consistent with the perceptions of the African American mothers and adolescents than were those provided by non-African American coders.
Asunto(s)
Negro o Afroamericano/psicología , Conflicto Psicológico , Relaciones Madre-Hijo , Madres/psicología , Adolescente , Adulto , Comparación Transcultural , Cultura , Humanos , Variaciones Dependientes del ObservadorRESUMEN
Using a 1-year prospective design, this study examined the influence of family status variables (family income, parental education, family structure), parenting variables (maternal support and restrictive control), peer support, and neighborhood risk on the school performance of 120 African American junior high school students. In addition to main effects of these variables, neighborhood risk was examined as a moderator of the effects of parenting and peer support. Family status variables were not predictive of adolescent school performance as indexed by self-reported grade point average. Maternal support at Time 1 was prospectively related to adolescent grades at Time 2. Neighborhood risk was related to lower grades, while peer support predicted better grades in the prospective analyses. Neighborhood risk also moderated the effects of maternal restrictive control and peer support on adolescent grades in prospective analyses. These findings highlight the importance of an ecological approach to the problem of academic underachievement within the African American Community.
Asunto(s)
Logro , Conducta del Adolescente , Negro o Afroamericano/psicología , Familia/psicología , Grupo Paritario , Adolescente , Niño , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Estado Civil , Pacientes Desistentes del Tratamiento , Estudios Prospectivos , Psicología del Adolescente , Factores SocioeconómicosRESUMEN
The prevalence of dental anxiety and the association between dental anxiety and personality traits were examined in a population-based sample of 895 US urban children, from 5 to 11 years of age, from low-income families. Dental anxiety was reported by the child using the Dental Subscale (DS) of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule, and behavioral problems and personality traits were evaluated by parent report on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Mean DS scores were 31.1 (SD = 10.3) for boys and 34.3 (SD = 11.0) for girls. CBCL score means were 33.3 (SD = 23.2) for boys and 28.5 (SD = 19.1) for girls. The hypothesized relationship between DS and CBCL scores in this population was not demonstrated.
Asunto(s)
Ansiedad al Tratamiento Odontológico/epidemiología , Ansiedad al Tratamiento Odontológico/psicología , Personalidad , Pobreza , Niño , Conducta Infantil , Trastornos de la Conducta Infantil/epidemiología , Preescolar , Etnicidad , Miedo , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Prevalencia , Grupos Raciales , Factores Sexuales , Salud Urbana , Washingtón/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Examined the effect of peer problem behavior, the absence of a father or equivalent in the home, and the mother-adolescent relationship as predictors of adolescent problem behavior in a sample of 112 African American adolescents. Statistical analyses compared a moderator model to a mediational model and a cumulative risk model. As predicted, the moderator model was superior to the alternative models. Specifically, whereas the mediational model predicted that the effect of father absence and the mother-child relationship upon adolescent problem behavior would be mediated by peer problem behavior, neither effected peer problem behavior or adolescent problem behavior. Similarly, a cumulative risk index did not predict either child or parent reports of problem behavior and was not sensitive to specific contingencies that existed between the predictor variables. In contrast, an interactive, moderator model described the data quite well. This model suggested that father or equivalent absence magnifies the negative impact of peer problem behavior, while a positive mother-adolescent relationship attenuates this risk. A strong mother-adolescent relationship also served to protect adolescents in father-absent homes from the risk of peer problem behavior.
Asunto(s)
Negro o Afroamericano/psicología , Trastornos de la Conducta Infantil/psicología , Relaciones Madre-Hijo , Privación Paterna , Grupo Paritario , Adolescente , Negro o Afroamericano/estadística & datos numéricos , Niño , Trastornos de la Conducta Infantil/epidemiología , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Humanos , Incidencia , Estudios Longitudinales , Masculino , Modelos Estadísticos , Apego a Objetos , Desarrollo de la Personalidad , Inventario de Personalidad/estadística & datos numéricos , Psicometría , Factores de Riesgo , Washingtón/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The aims of the present study were to survey the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores (behavioral section) in a nonclinical population of US urban children from low-income families and to compare the distribution and pattern of scores with the normative data in the CBCL manual (1991). METHOD: The sample consisted of 890 low-income children and a mother or female guardian selected randomly from among Seattle public school students aged 5 to 11 years. RESULTS: In this sample the total CBCL score as well as all subscale scores were significantly higher than the norms. The proportion of children who scored in the clinical/borderline range was also higher than the norm. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support previous work showing that poverty is a risk factor for mental distress in children. They also raise questions about the validity of the CBCL norms for screening or research purpose for low-income families.
Asunto(s)
Trastornos de la Conducta Infantil/diagnóstico , Clase Social , Niño , Trastornos de la Conducta Infantil/psicología , Preescolar , Caries Dental/diagnóstico , Etnicidad , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Madres , Pruebas Psicológicas , Factores Sexuales , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
Examined the relationships between negative events, locus of control, social support, and psychological adjustment in an early adolescent sample. Of interest were the potential stress-buffering effects of social support and the conjunctive effects of social support and locus of control upon adjustment. Family support was positively related to adjustment in several domains, whereas school support was only related to school competence. Peer support was positively related to peer competence and anxiety, and negatively related to school competence. Examination of the buffering hypothesis suggested that both family and school support served to moderate the relationship between negative events and school competence. Conjunctive effects were also detected in that school support buffered number of negative events best for those individuals with an internal locus of control for successes.
Asunto(s)
Control Interno-Externo , Acontecimientos que Cambian la Vida , Desarrollo de la Personalidad , Apoyo Social , Adaptación Psicológica , Adolescente , Familia/psicología , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Grupo Paritario , Inventario de PersonalidadRESUMEN
Gender, poverty and race, the "triple threat" referred to in the title, are three major risk factors that contribute to the high prevalence of weight-related problems in this country. Current psychological literature on weight management has generally ignored the effects of these variables and their implications for developing interventions for underserved populations which include women, minorities and poor people. The present paper discusses the literature on the effects of gender, race, and class on weight levels and associated psychosocial variables. Conclusions drawn illustrate that weight is a major issue for women, and that race and class also have effects on weight levels which can affect health status. Areas of further exploration and of action are identified to address problems that women face regarding weight.
Asunto(s)
Peso Corporal , Grupos Raciales , Clase Social , Actitud Frente a la Salud , Imagen Corporal , Comparación Transcultural , Femenino , Estado de Salud , Humanos , Grupos Minoritarios/psicología , Obesidad/epidemiología , Obesidad/psicología , Prevalencia , Factores Sexuales , Salud de la MujerRESUMEN
This study explored the relationship between friendship social network variables and social competence indices using a sample of 98 young black lower SES adolescents. Analyses indicated that perceived emotional support received from friends and the number of reciprocated best friends in an adolescents' social network were related positively. Multivariate hierarchical regression analyses indicated that perceived friend emotional support and number of reciprocated best friends contributed independently to school competence, peer competence, and perceived self-competence measures. The friendship network's school achievement orientation was related positively to school competence but was unrelated to peer or perceived self-competence. Friendship network density did not add to the variance explained by the other network variables. Methodological contributions of this study include the development of a computer program to map friendship networks and the expansion of network analysis beyond the examination of social support functions.
Asunto(s)
Conducta del Adolescente , Relaciones Interpersonales , Ajuste Social , Medio Social , Logro , Adolescente , Niño , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Grupo Paritario , Valores Sociales , Factores SocioeconómicosRESUMEN
The relationship of characteristics of the social environment to the adaptation of adolescents from high-risk predisposing environments was examined. Specifically, the degree to which adolescents' perceptions of various dimensions of their family and school environment as well as sources of social support related to differential levels of personal well-being and academic adjustment was explored. Multiple regression analyses revealed differences in the salience of the dimensions of the social environment as a function of the particular sphere of functioning under consideration. Implications of the findings for developing a model for understanding the relative vulnerability of individuals at risk as well as of the design of preventive interventions are discussed.
Asunto(s)
Adaptación Psicológica , Trastornos de Adaptación/psicología , Acontecimientos que Cambian la Vida , Medio Social , Logro , Adolescente , Familia , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Pruebas Psicológicas , Riesgo , Apoyo SocialRESUMEN
This study examines the structure of social support and its relationship to adjustment for adolescents from high-stress lower socioeconomic class inner-city backgrounds. An attempt is made to (a) identify meaningful dimensions of perceived social support for this population; (b) examine the degree to which the perceived helpfulness of each source of support varied as a function of age, sex, and ethnic background; and (c) determine the relationship between the dimensions of social support, personal characteristics of the adolescent, and indices of personal and academic adjustment. Factor analyses reveal three distinct support dimensions: Family, Formal, and Informal Support. Multivariate and univariate analyses of variance show differences in the perceived helpfulness of the support dimensions as a function of the adolescent's age, sex, and ethnic background as well as in the relationship of each source of support to the adjustment indices. Implications of the findings for elaborating the impact of social support on coping efforts are discussed.
Asunto(s)
Adaptación Psicológica , Delincuencia Juvenil/psicología , Medio Social , Apoyo Social , Logro , Adolescente , Familia , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Riesgo , Autoimagen , Ajuste Social , Población UrbanaRESUMEN
Most of the research on the assessment of the intelligence of Latinos in the United States has shown that they score significantly lower than Anglo-Americans on a variety of standard measures of intellectual functioning. Before taking such data at face value and drawing premature generalizations, a number of erroneous often implicitly made assumptions are reviewed in this paper. An evaluation of the evidence for each of the assumptions indicates that much of the data gathered about Latinos, as well as many of the instruments used to gather it, have grown out of a tradition frought with problems, both moral and methodoligical. Suggestions are given on ways to restructure assessment procedures so that data collected are more germane to the development of programming for the Latino population.